Elite national side make “audacious” move for World Cup winning United sensation – report

Former Manchester United goalkeeper Fabien Barthez could be in line for a shock return to the French national team set-up. United career Barthez joined Manchester United from AS Monaco in the summer of 2000. The Frenchman brought a cavalier style of goalkeeping to England that did not fit with the traditional method of keeping goal. His eccentricity on the ball would sometimes bring gasps of joy and desperation from the Old Trafford crowd. Barthez played 139 matches for the club, winning two Premier League titles in 2001 and 2003. He left for Olympique de Marseille in the summer of 2004 after spending the previous season on loan at the club. The keeper also had immense success internationally, playing 87 times for his nation and winning the World Cup in 1998 and the Euros in 2000. Post-playing career The 54-year-old retired in 2006 and became the honorary president of Championnat National team Luzenac. Barthez was also part of the French national team’s technical staff in 2010 when Laurent Blanc was appointed manager. He also interestingly enjoyed a return to sport but in motor racing, participating in the Le Mans 24 hour event in 2014, 2016 and 2017. Potential new role French newspaper L’Equipe has claimed that Barthez could be on the cusp of joining up once again with France when Didier Deschamps leaves his role after the current World Cup. The paper reports that, “Zinédine Zidane, the likely future coach, is working behind the scenes to make his former teammate the goalkeeping coach for the French national team.” The article continues, “a strong bond endures between the two men. The idea is audacious and would remind those in their forties (and older) of a golden age: appointing his former teammate on the French national team, Fabien Barthez, as goalkeeping coach, replacing Franck Raviot, who has been working with the national team’s goalkeepers (and previously with the U21s) for sixteen years.” The two men have a very close relationship from their playing days and Barthez “is reportedly enthusiastic about joining the coaching staff with a generation of players he knows to be brilliant.” Fabien Barthez career stats ClubYears ActiveMatches played Toulose1990-199226 Marseille1992-1995122 Monaco1995-2000193 Man United2000-2004139 Marseille2003-200671 Nantes2006-200716 France1994-200687 Source: Wikipedia The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Alex Browne Alex is a huge Manchester United fan, inspired by greats of his homeland such as George Best, Harry Gregg and Norman Whiteside. Alex has a Master’s degree from Queen’s University Belfast and La Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Tarragona, Spain. Having lived in the country since 2011, Alex is The Peoples Person’s Spanish football expert and is fluent in both Spanish and Catalan. He dreams of witnessing a United captain triumphantly hoisting the Premier League and Champions League trophy in the air once more.